Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale By Diane Setterfield

By | December 20, 2015

Aldaia brttt

So, I’ve just put down this book and I feel a bit sorry that I’ve done so. I have this new ritual of getting a bunch of books and reading the first chapter of each in order to decide which one to start reading next. In the 13th tale case, I knew from page two that I very much wanted to continue on reading until the very last page and that once I do reach it, I will be buzzing with what ever I’ve read. My hunch was spot on.

I find myself loving heroines who are bookworms like myself. I actually imagine myself spending my days at a library like Margaret did, and can imagine how it must have felt for her, being summoned by Vida Winter, a best-selling author whose days are limited and whose never-before told story needs to be penned down by Margaret. This is  book written by a book addict to book lovers everywhere and those are turning out to be the best reads so far. I loved the mystery surrounding Vida, the urgency in documenting what was past in what little time is left, and the different ways a tale is told. I actually found comfort in knowing the story was propelling in one direction and that everything is being revealed in its own proper time. I however am not convinced of why exactly Vida Winter chose Margaret, but the “twist” near the end of the book that explains everything is something you will not be seeing coming and will take you by surprise for sure.

The thing is, I am talking about a book that is published in 2006 so its not new. You might have already come across it for it was on New York Times best seller after it was published. There is also a BBC movie with the same name that is based upon this novel that aired in 2013 that I haven’t seen but will be looking out for and hopefully won’t be disappointed.

Now I must warn you, there is an air of despair lingering around the lines of the story and it might not be to everyone’s taste. Depressing or not, I wasn’t able to put it down and I wasn’t able to kick the characters out of my mind for a while. I’m only sorry it didn’t go on for a bit longer, somehow after the twist and the conclusions the story seemed to rush towards the ending but now with a movie available, it should be more than enough.

Recommended? You bet. Stories do end up on New York Times best seller’s list for a reason.

Comments are closed.